IEM Melbourne 2025 Semifinal Preview: MOUZ vs Team Falcons

25 Apr

Kaustavmani Choudhury

As the first quarterfinal of IEM Melbourne 2025 wraps up faster than expected, all eyes now shift to the semifinal clash set for tomorrow. On one side stands Team Falcons—fresh off their first taste of international success—while on the other awaits MOUZ, the second-best team in the world and a consistent force to be reckoned with.

Falcons: Flying High With m0NESY

Team Falcons have had a remarkable month so far. Following their title win at PGL Bucharest, they’ve shown no signs of slowing down. The decision to swap out Bucharest MVP Abdulkhalik "degster" Gasanov for Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov raised eyebrows, but it's quickly proving to be a masterstroke.

The reunification of m0NESY and NiKo on the Falcons roster has bred renewed interest in the high-paying superteam. Credit: Croissant Strike

Their group stage run saw confident wins over SAW and Natus Vincere before eventually falling to Vitality—though not without resistance. In their quarterfinal bout against GamerLegion, it was m0NESY who shone brightest, showcasing his raw mechanical talent and pushing Falcons into the semifinals. With the support of veterans like NiKo and TeSeS, this new-look Falcons roster feels more dangerous than ever.

MOUZ: Steady, Dominant, and Relentless

MOUZ have become synonymous with consistency in recent months. Widely regarded as the second-best team in the world behind Vitality, they’ve lived up to the title in Melbourne with a dominant group stage run. They’ve only dropped one map so far, breezing past BIG, GamerLegion, and The MongolZ.

Lotan "Spinx" Giladi and Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás have been the stars of the show, putting up monstrous numbers throughout. But it's Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin who continues to silence critics—his IGL transition has been nothing short of spectacular. Under his leadership, MOUZ are not just winning—they’re dictating the pace of the game.

Map Veto:

Both teams share a permaban in Anubis, complicating the veto process slightly. Given MOUZ's traditional preference for Nuke, it’s likely Falcons will take it off the table early.

For the first map, MOUZ could opt for Train—a map they’ve looked confident on recently. Falcons may turn to Dust2 as their pick, which is one of their best.

With both teams struggling on Inferno and Ancient respectively, expect those to be second-phase bans.

That would likely leave Mirage as the decider—an appropriate battleground to settle a high-stakes semifinal.

Prediction: MOUZ to Edge Out in a Tight Series

This matchup promises fireworks. Falcons have the momentum and firepower to challenge anyone right now, especially with m0NESY and NiKo leading the charge. But MOUZ have shown time and again why they’re one of the most complete teams in the game.

Falcons may push them to their limits, but if Spinx and torzsi maintain their form and Brollan continues to call sharp, MOUZ should come out on top. Expect a close contest, but we predict MOUZ 2-1 Falcons.

As the IEM Melbourne semifinals kick off, fans are in for a thrilling clash between firepower and structure. But one thing is certain—the road to the grand final won’t be easy for either side.

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Featured Image Credits: ESL